Ode 6. Irmos.

**Of the Mother of God. Another Irmos.**

Of the Martyrs.

**Theotokion.**

Come godly-minded people, as we celebrate this divine and honoured feast of the Mother of God, let us clap our hands as we glorify the God who was born of her.

**Ode 7. Irmos.**

Glory. Both now. Cross Theotokion.

**Cross-Theotokion.**

Robbed by the pains you underwent, putting an end to the pains of human­ity, you lead all to the life without pain, O compassionate Lord.

**Ode 8. Irmos.**

As noblest of Martyrs.

**Theotokion.**

The blaze of the sun was hidden, the splendour of the temple torn apart, the earth was shaken, the rocks were rent with fear, unable to contemplate the Creator on the Cross.

**Of the Mother of God. The same Irmos.**

The serpent died seeing the godly Martyrs dead from tortures and truly inheriting eternal life by God’s grace.

**Ode 9. Irmos.**

Countless, everliving multitudes of Martyrs, you underwent countless tortures and won countless prizes; therefore diminish the multitudes of my evils.

**Of the Mother of God. Another Irmos.**

Be for me a haven, All-spotless One, who am tossed on a sea of fearful troubles, you who have now saved all shipwrecked nature by your giving birth, O Maiden Mother of God.

**Troparia.**

Finding you the pure dwelling-place of chastity, the Master dwelt purely in your womb, wishing, O Virgin, to purify human nature.

All Spotless One, you have made heavenly the earthly nature of man­kind, renewed it when it was corrupted; therefore you alone we honour with never silent voices.

You conceived in your womb, O Mother of God, God the Word with­out beginning, who for us men be­come as us, acknowledged as un­changed in two natures.

The godlike Children did not wor­ship creation instead of the Creator, but bravely trampling on the threat of fire, rejoicing they sang: O highly exalted Lord and God of our fathers, blessed are you!

**Troparia.**

The enemy was routed and thrown headlong as a corpse, when Christ was raised on the tree and he who of old was condemned was saved and cried to him: O Lord and God of our fathers, blessed are you!.

By dying on a tree you made me, who was slain through a tree, divine, and by your divine wounds you healed the wounds of my heart. O highly exalted Lord and God of our fathers, blessed are you!

**Of the Martyrs.**

Martyrs of Christ, your bodies were disfigured, struck by countless scourges, but the beauty of your souls was shown to be truly lovelier, as you cried: O Lord God, blessed are you!

Shipwrecked in your blood the enemy with his myriads was destroyed; but you, all-honoured Martyrs, sang out with joy: O Lord and God of our fa­thers, blessed are you!

All-pure One, you were shown to be a spotless Bride, a palace for the Creator, a throne formed of fire, earth untilled; therefore we cry to you: Hail Sovereign Lady who made mortals divine by your divine child-bearing.

**Of the Mother of God. Another Ir­mos.**

**Troparia.**

The Word who was in the beginning dwelling in your womb, O Virgin, took flesh, calling us back who were imprisoned, he the Lord who loves mankind, the blessed God of our fa­thers.

You appeared as the spiritual Gate of the Dayspring from on high who ap­peared for mankind on earth from you, O Bride of God, beyond reason and understanding, he the blessed God of our fathers.

Clothed in a robe of many virtues you stood at the right hand of the King of all who became incarnate from your blood, O Bride without bridegroom, who intercede unceasingly that we be delivered from every constraint.

By your mother’s boldness, O Virgin, break the chains of the offences of those who sing with devotion and love to your Offspring: O highly ex­alted Lord and God of our fathers, blessed are You!

The Offspring of the Mother of God saved the innocent Youths in the fur­nace. Then he was prefigured, but now in reality he gathers the whole world which sings: All you works praise the Lord, and highly exalt him to all the ages.

**Troparia.**

Master beyond time, you loose me from timeless bonds, becoming sub­ject to time and given up of your own will and banishing the proud foe in indissoluble bonds, and you save me by your Cross and Passion: therefore I bless you, O Christ, to all the ages.

O Word, highly exalted, without be­ginning, invisible, you were willingly raised on the Cross, raising all crea­tion with you and making a spectacle of all the principalities and powers of darkness, O Christ, by your Passion; therefore we praise you to all the ages.

**Of the Martyrs.**

Martyrs of all the world, you mounted your own blood like a chariot and were carried to dwellings above the world, receiving fitting prizes from Christ, and crying: Praise the Lord, and highly exalt him to all the ages.

Raised on gallows and hurled into pits, thrown to beasts and torn apart by fire and water the victorious Mar­tyrs sang with joy: You works praise the Lord and highly exalt him to all the ages.

When she saw you sleeping on the Tree, who grant divine and saving awakening to all, your all-pure Mother loudly lamenting cried out: What is this newest wonder? He who gives life to all is dying willingly.

The Creator, who is unapproachable by all the ranks above, dwelt in your womb, keeping you unharmed by fire and incorrupt after child-birth; to him we now cry out: You works praise the Lord and highly exalt him to all the ages.

Pure of stains and taints and a shrine of all holiness you bore the all-holy Word, who makes all things holy and is without beginning with the Father; therefore, O Virgin, we praise and highly exalt you to all the ages.

Knowing you by mouth and mind to be Mother of God we confess you, O immaculate; for you gave birth, all-pure, to the Creator clothed in flesh, Christ the Lord and King; therefore, O Virgin, we praise and highly exalt you to all the ages.

O Mother of God, the all-holy Ark, overshadowed by the divine Spirit, who bore the eternal and everlasting Word, who through ineffable com­passion became incarnate, we praise and highly exalt you to all the ages.

Let all born of earth bearing torches, in spirit leap for joy; let the nature of the immaterial spirits hon­our and celebrate the wondrous sa­cred festival of the Mother of God, and let them cry: Hail, all-blessed Mother of God, pure and Ever-Virgin!

**Troparia.**

He stands judged who is going to judge the universe, O Lover of man­kind; you willingly bind on a crown of thorns, O Saviour, plucking up the thorn of disobedience by the roots, O Christ, and implanting in all the knowledge of your compassion

Oh how does the unjust people, darkened by envy, betray you to a cross, O just and blameless and Giver of life. Seeing your passion the sun grows dark and the splendour of the Temple is rent and the foundations of the earth are shaken.

**Of the Martyrs.**

Holy Martyrs, you are called compan­ions of the sufferings of Christ and fellow heirs of the King­dom and the glory; therefore, O wise ones, give light to those who hymn you, scattering the gloom of sin and manifold disasters.

Already, wise Martyrs, you have made your dwelling in heaven itself, receiving eternal glory and deified by sacred participation in God’s life; remember us all who honour with faith your all-sacred and revered memory, O all-praised.

Enlighten, O pure one, those who hymn and magnify you with longing; destroy the darkness of our passions, O Maiden; end the tempest; take from our midst the stumbling blocks of the evil one; subdue the children of Hagar to our devout King by your prayers.

Pure Bride of God, the spiritual coal which Isaias saw you carry in your arms, O Mother of God, united with our form and a beacon of salvation for the world; therefore we all mag­nify you.

The Prophets proclaimed in advance the symbols of your birth-giving, in­structed in these mysteries from afar, and by the divine inspiration of the Spirit proclaiming them loudly to the world; at whose fulfilment we now marvel.

Lovely in his beauty and fairer than all is he fruit of your womb, for you, Virgin Mother of God, gave birth to God incarnate that he might save mankind; therefore we all magnify you.

**Aposticha of Lauds. Of the Cross.**

May your Cross be a wall for us, Jesu our Saviour; for we faithful have no other hope but you who were nailed to it and who grant us your great mercy.

**Model melody.**

You have given as a sign to those who fear you, Lord, your precious Cross, through which you triumphed over the principalities and powers of darkness and brought us back to our ancient blessedness; therefore we glorify your loving dispensation, O Jesu all-powerful, the Saviour of our souls.

**Of the Martyrs.**

Who is not amazed, holy Martyrs, seeing the good fight that you fought; how while still in the body you con­quered the bodiless foe, confessing Christ and armed with the Cross? Therefore you were fittingly named routers of demons and enemies of barbarians, as you intercede unceas­ingly that our souls may be saved.

When the Virgin, your Mother, saw You hanging on the Cross, O Lord, she was amazed and cried out with yearning: My Son, so well-beloved, why have you been fixed to the tree of the Cross, O Long-suffering One? Why have your hands and feet been nailed by lawless men, O Word? Why have you shed your blood, O Master?